bedbugbilly
02-18-2019, 06:30 PM
I didn’t really know which forum in so hopefully those with conversion cylinder experience will find it here. Mods please move if necessary.
I have a couple of questions in regards to conversion cylinders for cap and ball and safe loads using smokeless powder.
Gun – Uberti Remington 1857 NMA REVOLVING CARBINE (not pistol) in .44 caliber – 18 inch barrel.
All boolits will be soft lead.
For using the carbine in percussion mode – I’ll be using Goex with either a 141 grain .454 round ball or the Jonston & Dow 211 grain “conical” (mold made by Eras Gone and copy of the original Civil War Johnston & Dow bullet).
CONVERSION CYLINDER for above carbine – Taylor’s (Howell I believe is the manufacturer?) in 45 Colt. I have a good supply of both 45 Colt and 45 Schofield brass.
Black Powder Cartridges – not an issue as I’m used to loading compressed loads in 38 Colt Short, Long and Special as well as 45 Colt/Schofield. I’ll be using Goex (because I have a supply of it) and probably both a 200 grain round flat nose soft lead and .454 soft lead round balls for “gallery loads”. Compressed load with a cardboard card over powder and bullet seated on top of card. For the RB gallery cartridges – same thing with the round ball seated against the card just below the center line of the ball and slight roll crimp to secure ball. Pollisbly a lube cake between ball and card for the round ball and finger lube on the 200 grain RNFP.
MY QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO THE CONVERSION CYLINDER AND SMOKELESS LOADS –
I’ve looked at the Howell cylinders for a while and some dealers state cowboy loads only – some say no smokless. From what I’m reading, the velocity wants to be kept below 800 fps or so with smokeless. I’m thinking of loading at the low end of the chart according to my Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook – 3rd edition. Somewhere in the 500 – 600 fps area.
I usually have Red Dot, Green Dot and Unique on hand. In my Ubeerti Cattleman 45 – 7 ½” barrel – Red Dot and Green Dot seem to give me the best accuracy with the Lyman/Ideal 454-190 traditional 250 ish grain boolit. I’ve read that a lot of those in the CAS like “TrailBoss” but in the places I get powder, they just don’t have it so I’m looking at the above powders I have – preferable Red Dot as I have a full 8 pound jug of it.
I’ll be loading both the .454 round ball and the 200 grain RNFP boolits – soft lead – and my question is in regards to both the 18 inch barrel of the carbine and the Howell/Taylor’s Conversion Cylinder. This is going to be strictly a “fun gun” to play with – 25 to 50 yards maximum range.
If I keep my Red Dot loads at the low end of the loading chart – what they list in the 500 – 500 fps range for pistol cartridges, will they work sufficiently well in the longer 18” barrel without causing higher pressures and resulting in damage to the conversion cylinder?
Just trying to get my thoughts straight on using the conversion cylinder for 45 Colt in the revolving carbine and keeping everything “safe”.
The idea of being able to use the 1858 Remington revolving carbine in both percussion/BP and the ability to put in a conversion cylinder to use both BP and smokeless 45 Colt/Schofield cartridges is appealing in my mind. If I can develop some lower pressure smokeless loads that will work well in both my 7 ½ Cattleman and the 18” carbine without having to keep cartridges separate is even more appealing. Not shooting competition – just killing cans and punching holes in paper.
Suggestions, thoughts, education on what to expect with a conversion cylinder, smokeless and longer 18” barrel - or even one legged chickens greatly appreciated!
Thanks.
I have a couple of questions in regards to conversion cylinders for cap and ball and safe loads using smokeless powder.
Gun – Uberti Remington 1857 NMA REVOLVING CARBINE (not pistol) in .44 caliber – 18 inch barrel.
All boolits will be soft lead.
For using the carbine in percussion mode – I’ll be using Goex with either a 141 grain .454 round ball or the Jonston & Dow 211 grain “conical” (mold made by Eras Gone and copy of the original Civil War Johnston & Dow bullet).
CONVERSION CYLINDER for above carbine – Taylor’s (Howell I believe is the manufacturer?) in 45 Colt. I have a good supply of both 45 Colt and 45 Schofield brass.
Black Powder Cartridges – not an issue as I’m used to loading compressed loads in 38 Colt Short, Long and Special as well as 45 Colt/Schofield. I’ll be using Goex (because I have a supply of it) and probably both a 200 grain round flat nose soft lead and .454 soft lead round balls for “gallery loads”. Compressed load with a cardboard card over powder and bullet seated on top of card. For the RB gallery cartridges – same thing with the round ball seated against the card just below the center line of the ball and slight roll crimp to secure ball. Pollisbly a lube cake between ball and card for the round ball and finger lube on the 200 grain RNFP.
MY QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO THE CONVERSION CYLINDER AND SMOKELESS LOADS –
I’ve looked at the Howell cylinders for a while and some dealers state cowboy loads only – some say no smokless. From what I’m reading, the velocity wants to be kept below 800 fps or so with smokeless. I’m thinking of loading at the low end of the chart according to my Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook – 3rd edition. Somewhere in the 500 – 600 fps area.
I usually have Red Dot, Green Dot and Unique on hand. In my Ubeerti Cattleman 45 – 7 ½” barrel – Red Dot and Green Dot seem to give me the best accuracy with the Lyman/Ideal 454-190 traditional 250 ish grain boolit. I’ve read that a lot of those in the CAS like “TrailBoss” but in the places I get powder, they just don’t have it so I’m looking at the above powders I have – preferable Red Dot as I have a full 8 pound jug of it.
I’ll be loading both the .454 round ball and the 200 grain RNFP boolits – soft lead – and my question is in regards to both the 18 inch barrel of the carbine and the Howell/Taylor’s Conversion Cylinder. This is going to be strictly a “fun gun” to play with – 25 to 50 yards maximum range.
If I keep my Red Dot loads at the low end of the loading chart – what they list in the 500 – 500 fps range for pistol cartridges, will they work sufficiently well in the longer 18” barrel without causing higher pressures and resulting in damage to the conversion cylinder?
Just trying to get my thoughts straight on using the conversion cylinder for 45 Colt in the revolving carbine and keeping everything “safe”.
The idea of being able to use the 1858 Remington revolving carbine in both percussion/BP and the ability to put in a conversion cylinder to use both BP and smokeless 45 Colt/Schofield cartridges is appealing in my mind. If I can develop some lower pressure smokeless loads that will work well in both my 7 ½ Cattleman and the 18” carbine without having to keep cartridges separate is even more appealing. Not shooting competition – just killing cans and punching holes in paper.
Suggestions, thoughts, education on what to expect with a conversion cylinder, smokeless and longer 18” barrel - or even one legged chickens greatly appreciated!
Thanks.